Refrigerator case



G. J. HOPKINS 1,975,275

' Oct-2, 1934.

Raaf/@ Patented ct. 2, 1.934

o STATES PATENT OFFICE McCray Refrigerator Company,

Kendallville,

llnd., a corporation of Indiana Application June 10, 1933, Serial No. 675,253

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to refrigerator cases and more particularly to detachably secured sliding doors therefor of the character and type hereinafter illustrated and more particu- 5 larly described.

The main objects of the invention are to pro-- vide a refrigerator case having one or more detachably inserted sliding doors; to provide sliding doors of the character above indicated, which l when slid into their closed positions effect a substantially air=tight seal between the interior of the refrigerator and the exterior thereof; to provide doors of the sliding type which have means for effecting free and easy sliding; and, l to provide a refrigerator case having sliding doors made of a material which is non-moisture absorbing and thus free from warping.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure i is a fragmentary iront elevational view of the bottom portion of a pair of sliding doors for a refrigerator case, the doors being shown in their closed position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the 25 lower sash and sill of the sliding doors of the refrigerator case on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view thereof on line 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing particularly the manner by which a substantially air-tight seal is eected lo between the interior of the refrigerator and the exterior thereof when the doors are in their closed position;

Figure d is a fragmentary front elevational view of one of the doors, a portion thereof being g5 broken away and in section on line s-dof Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the top portion of the pair of sliding doors when in their closed position, the left-hand door 4o being likewise indicated in dotted lines as the center of the opening prior to its insertion;

Figure '6 is an enlarged sectional view thereof on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 'l is a sectionall view on line '7-7 of 4a Figure 5, assuming the left-hand door is in the position indicated in dotted lines and in its detachably insertable position; andA Figure d is a sectional view on line ri Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the same numerals in thesev-J eral views, a refrigerator case generally designated l is provided with an opening rectangular I' in shape to permit access to the interior thereof. nl is provided with an upper sill 2 (Cl. S12-138) and a lower sill 3, preferably of hard or vulcanized rubber or of some other non-moisture absorbing material, and each sill is provided with a pair of spaced longitudinal tongues 4, 5, 6 and 7, here shown as integrally formed with the sill. so The lower tongues 1, 5 are each provided with a channel member 8, preferably of metal, molded integrally therein providing a track for door bearings hereinafter more particularly described. The channel bar 8 is composed of spaced subg5 stantially parallel sides and a connecting tread portion and the sides have divergent edge portions extending beyond the adjacent tongue and embedded in. the sill at opposite sides thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. g@ A longitudinally extending block 9 having a substantially central longitudinal guide rib 10 is disposed interjacent one pair of the longitudinal tongues and here shown as suspended between the upper tongues 6, 7.

A pair Aof doors generally designated ll, l2 whose frames are preferably of hard rubber, porcelain enameled steel or some other non-moisture absorbing material and having reinforcing cores, each have a lower sash 13, ld and an upper sash l5, 16 and each sash is provided with a longitudinal groove 17, 18, 19 and 20 registering with its companion tongue e, 5, 6 and 'l respectively` when the doors are detachably inserted within the opening as hereinafter explained. One sash of each of the doors is provided with a longitudinal slot 21, 22 here shown as in thevupper sash of each door and substantially medial of its length. Each slot is adapted to register with the block 9 when it is desired to detachably insert the doors within the opening as best indicated in Figures 5 and 7.

Each of the longitudinal grooves l'l, 18 within the lower sash of each door is provided with a plurality of spaced ball bearing cups 23 preferably of metal whose open peripheral edge is turned inwardly to retain the balls 24 therein which roll upon the track or channel member 8 and the inserted disc 25 during the sliding movement of the doors. The opposed faces of the ends of the doors have cammed surfaces 26, 37 as best shown in Figure 3 fonfrictionally contacting each other and the ends of the case for sealing the opening of the refrigerator case when the doors are slid to closed position -and a practical airtight seal is thereby effected between the interior of the refrigerator and the exterior thereof.

As heretofore indicated, the doors may be detachably inserted to slidably fit within the opening one behind the other and seal the interior of the refrigerator from the outside thereof when the doors are slid to closed position as is shown in Figures 1 and 5.

Detachable insertion of the doors within the opening is effected by rst placing the door 12 adjacent the opening with its slot 22 in registration with the depending block 9 and lifting the door until it clears the track or channel member v8 when it may then be dropped onto the track and slid thereon. Since the block and slot are in registration at only one point, sliding of the door retains it within the opening by means of the grooves in its upper and lower sash. The door 11 may be similarly detachably inserted within the opening and slidably retained therein in a like, manner. The method of insertion of the doors is best indicated in Figures 5 and 7 wherein the slot 21 of the door 11 has been placed in registration with the block 9 prior to dropping it onto its track 8 as is illustrated in Figure 2.

It is thus seen that a refrigerator case having a pair of non-warping detachably inserted sliding doors which provide a practical air-tight seal between the interior and exterior of the refrigerator when the doors are in their closed position has been herein shown and described and that means for eiecting easy and free sliding of the doors is herein illustrated and described.

While but one specic embodiment of the several inventions has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, a case having an opening thereini the upper and lower sill of said opening each having a pair of spaced longitudinal tongues, one of said sills having a block secured interjacent o ne pair of said spaced tongues, a pair of doors for said opening each having an upper and lower sash and each sash being provided with a longitudinal groove, one sash of each of said doors being provided with a slot adapted to register with said block whereby each door may be detachably inserted within said opening and slidably retained therein by means of said tongues and grooves.

2. In a structure ofthe class described, a case having an opening therein whose upper and lower sills are each provided with an integrally formed longitudinal tongue projecting beyond the surface of the sill, a metallic channel bar member composed of spaced substantially parallel sides and a connecting tread portion and embracing the tongue of the lower sill, whose edges are embedded in the sill and molded integrally there# with to form a track, the sides of the channel bar member being provided with divergent longitudinal edge portions embedded in the sill beyond the adjacent tongue, and a door for said opening whose upper and lower sashes are each provided with a. longitudinal groove slidably registering respectively with the tongues of the upper and lower sills of the opening and receiving the said tongues.

3. In a structure of the class described, a case having an opening, the upper and lower sill of said opening each having a pair of spaced longitudinal tongues, one of said sills having a block secured interjacent one pair of said spaced tongues, and a pair of doors for said opening each provide-d with a longitudinal groove at its top and bottom and having a slot adjacent one of the grooves adapted to register with said block whereby eachdoor may be detachably inserted within said opening and slidably retained therein by means of said tongues and grooves.

GEORGE J. HOPKINS. 

